The Gryffindor lions had grown aced to seeing Glen, the Slytherin s their table. After learning about his circumstances, some eve sympathetic, though apart from Hermione, her roommates, and Neville, no one would eh him.

  "Merge with the broomstick, maintain bance..." Hermioed from "Quidditch Through the Ages," holding the book so Glen and Neville could hear the flying instrus and tips.

  Nearby, Harry, Ron, and the others were thhly irritated by Hermione's incessant muttering, wishing they had extra hands to cover their ears.

  Flying lessons were scheduled to begin on Thursday. Wizards relied on magical broomsticks for flight - a special magical implement. Though Hermione knew about this, her she nlen had ever mounted a broomsti their previous two years.

  The young witch was so anxious that she barely touched her breakfast, fog entirely on her book.

  Left with no alternative, Glen had to snatch the book away a aside, insisting she focus oing.

  This earned him a pyful headbutt from the bushy-haired girl.

  He naturally accepted this gesture, patting her head and smoothing her hair.

  Withdrawing his now-reddened hand from Hermione's sp, Glen heard the flutter of bird wings overhead.

  A package arrived for Neville from his grandmother. He eagerly ope to reveal a gss ball about the size of his palm, filled with peared to be white smoke.

  "It's a Remembrall!" he expined. "Gran knows I'm fetful — it tells you if there's something you've fotten to do. See, you hold it tight like this, and if it turns red — oh..." His face fell as the Remembrall suddenly glowed bright red, "...that means you've fotten something..."

  As Neville wrinkled his face trying to recall what he'd fotten, looking hopefully at Glen and Hermione for hints, both merely shrugged, uo assist.

  Neville's memory was truly abysmal.

  Suddenly, Draco, who made a habit of prowling around the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall from Neville's hand.

  Glen slightly furrowed his brow, Hermione raised an eyebrow, while Harry and Ron jumped up immediately, rolling up their sleeves as if ready to front Malfoy and his ies.

  Before Hermione could intervene, Professonagall appeared, inquiring about the situation. Draco, wearing a dark expression, tossed the Remembrall bad stormed off with a threat.

  Before leaving, he cast a sinister g all the Gryffindor cubs, particurly at Glen, the Slytherin traitor. When his eyes swept past Glen, he dispyed an evil smile and drew his thumb across his throat.Don't think you escape your fate by defeg to Gryffindor!

  That afternoon, they gathered on the grounds in front of the castle for their first flying lesson.

  Shielding her eyes from the sun, Hermione quietly pulled Glen along as they blended into the crowd, whispering, "Are you nervous?"

  Glen replied, "I won't be participating today since I still 't see."

  Hermione's expression ged as she huffed and dropped his hand.

  Well pyed, Glen, abandoning the team like this!

  "Don't worry about flying, I'll protect you from below," Glen said early to Hermione.

  "Oh, fine, fine, I get it. Stop fussing! Do you really think I'm bound to fall?" Hermione was secretly pleased despite her protests, happily taking Glen's hand again as she led him to the field.

  After greeting Madam Hooch, Glen stood aside with his e, activating his heightened seo keep watch over Hermione.

  Twenty broomsticks y on the ground before Madam Hooch as she urged the young wizards to quickly take their positions.

  Everyone plied, each seleg a broom.

  "Extend yht hand over your broom and say 'Up!'" Madam Hoostructed.

  "UP!" everyone shouted.

  "UP!" Hermione called, but her broom merely spun on the ground like a break-dancer, clearly showing her misdirected magical energy.

  Visibly dissatisfied, she calmed herself, thought for a moment, and tried again with renewed focus.

  "UP!" This time she was more posed, and the broom obediently flew into her hand.

  "Hmph." Hermione raised an eyebrow triumphantly - piece of cake. She g Glen, who responded with gentle appuse.

  She was among the few who successfully summoheir brooms, though Harry had ma with the most speed and stability.

  After Madam Hooch demonstrated the proper form, she took out her whistle, preparing to let them hover a few feet off the ground.

  "AAAAHHHHH!" Suddenly, whether from nervousness or something else, Neville shot straight up into the sky on his broom.

  "Good heavens, child, stop immediately!" Madam Hooch shouted. Hermione, who had just mao hover above the ground, watched in horror as Neville's body jerked and began plummeting from midair!

  From an unnoticed er, Glen flicked his wrist, revealing his wand. "Momentum Dampening Charm," he cast, pointing at Neville. The falling boy's dest noticeably slowed, though he tio drop.

  Glen sighed, realizing that despite his above-average magical power for his age, it wasn't enough to pletely trol a young wizard's dest. He could only minimize Neville's impact damage.

  "Terrain Softening Charm!" At the crucial moment, seeing Neville's slowed dest, Hermione quickly drew her wand. As a st resort, she bit her lip and attempted the advaransfiguration spell she wasn't yet profit in. Just as Neville was about to hit the ground, she finally pleted the spell, transf the grass into soft, sticky mud.

  With a spt, Neville nded in the mud, groaning but rgely unharmed.

  Hermione's face went pale from the magical exertion - she hadn't expected to successfully cast the spell. Glen rushed over to support her, produg a magic restoration potion and helping her drink it.

  After gulping dowtle, Hermione's proved signifitly. She immediately asked, "What about Neville? Is he alright?"

  "He's fine, just a bit dazed. Thanks to your quick thinking, Miss Granger. For this, I award Gryffindor ten points!" Madam Hooch said with relief after casting a ing charm on Neville, her eyes betraying her lingering .

  She hadn't expected plications in the very first flying lesson.

  She turo instruct the other students and Neville to stay put while she fetched Madam Pomfrey and Professonagall for a check-up, then hurried away.

  Having recovered his senses, Neville's first a was to approach Glen and Hermioo express his gratitude.

  "I 't thank you enough - I've lost t of how many times you've helped me," Neville said early. It was true - they had both looked after him extensively siheir first meeting on the Hogwarts Express.

  Hermione managed a smile: "That's what friends are for."

  Glen nodded, gently helping Hermione up while handing Neville a calming draught.

  "I..." Neville looked at the potion in his hand, feeling something indefinable. Just as he was about to say something meaningful, a otioed from the nearby crowd.

  They then saw Draco s into the sky on his broom, clutg Neville's Remembrall, with Harry in hot pursuit, the two fag off in mid-air.

  "Catch it if you !" Draco shouted, suddenly hurling the Remembrall at an angle. Harry immediately chased after it on his broom, following the Remembrall as it plummeted toward the ground, lookiain to crash.

  In a heart-stopping moment, Harry pulled up just inches from the ground, Remembrall in hand, rolling onto the grass to disperse his momentum with surprising agility.

  "Wow, did Harry know he was this good at flying?" Hermione asked in amazement from Glen's arms, watg Harry stand up with the Remembrall, his face flushed with excitement.

  "Very impressive," Glen agreed. Harry truly had a natural talent for flying - those maneuvers were not easily executed.

  While everyone's attention was focused on Harry, crowding around him in celebration, Glen took the opportunity to simply scoop up Hermione. Uhe young witch's bewildered gaze, he activated his heightened senses and carried her back to their old room in the Room of Requirement.

  Fet about flying lessons - what's left of them anyway.

  A witch who had overexerted her magieeded rest!

  Besides, there were no more csses afterward.

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